Warba School Remembering Two Teens Killed in Nashwauk Crash

Taylor Holt
Updated: June 10, 2019 06:28 PM

Two young lives are being remembered at Northern Lights Community School in Warba. The two teens were killed in a two-vehicle crash in Nashwauk over the weekend, and on Monday, the school provided services to parents, students and staff needing support.

Advertisement

Several school officials said 16-year-old Aiden Patrick Hall and 13-year-old Trent Casey Salminen were more than just students at the school, they were family.

"The things you'll hear when you visit with students and staff is the word family," said School Social Worker, Aimee Love.

"Something like this hits us very hard," said Mike Hamernick, the School's Director.

Hamernick says they made sure to open their doors for anyone needing support and even provided bus transportation.

"We have clergy members in the building. Our social worker is here today," said Hamernick. "This is what we do when things like this happen to family. We come together."

The ripple effect goes beyond their school walls. Students from other schools also came to remember the boys with big personalities.

Hamernick says Trent loved fishing.

"He was very proud of the fish he caught. He had a nice mounted Bass he had been showing off at school," he said. "I don't think I ever saw him not smiling."

As for Aiden, his passion was for music.

"He very much enjoyed rapping and I had him here just this past week and he was doing a rap and it was one he created on his own," said Love. "He was just an amazing young man. They both were."

Both also loved art. Their creations that hang on the walls at the school are some of the lasting legacies they will leave.

"We are definitely going to miss both of them," said Hamernick.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the two were passengers in a car traveling north on Highway 169 in Nashwauk Saturday. The car was attempting a left hand turn on Highway 65 North. It was then struck by a camper that was traveling south on Highway 169.

Balloons for the two precious lives lost were very visible at the intersection on Monday, and Hamernick says the road to healing will be a long one.

"It doesn't end today and for some of these kids it's never going to end," said Hamernick. "These are those times when people just need to put their arms around each other and love one another."

darren, the cause of the crash is still under investigation.the patrol says all people involved were wearing seatbelts and alcohol was not a factor.

A statement to WDIO from Aiden's mom said, "Aiden loved deeply. He is a great son. He's my buddy, my son, my little Romeo. He loved his family very much. He loved the outdoors, and fishing. He loved hanging out and spending time with his best friend, Jordan Farnsworth."